The present invention generally relates to a computer network communication field, in particular to an Instant messaging communication method and apparatus.
With the development of computer network technology, an Instant messaging IM system has become a very popular tool for on-line chat and discussion. A lot of companies have developed different INSTANT MESSAGING software, for example, MSN™ Messger, Yahoo™ Messager, Google™ Talk, NetMeeting, Tencent QQ, Skype™, etc.
Generally, when the user is performing an instant messaging communication, a communication log arranged in time sequence will be displayed on an instant messaging client so as to prompt the contents of the conversation between users. Although the communication log arranged in a time sequence can reflect the history of the conversation between users, it has some defects. During chatting or discussion, only recording and displaying a linear log results in the lack of context relationships in the log. For example, when two users are chatting, the first user types quickly while the second user types slowly. In this case, the message log arranged in time sequence may possibly be as follows:
User A: Are you back today?
User A: Are you back alone?
User B: Yes.
Wherein, the user A asks two questions, when the second user only gives a simple answer “Yes”, the first user does not know the second user's reply is directed to which question due to the lack of the context relationships.
In an instant messaging system that supports simultaneous conversation between a plurality of people, the situation becomes more complex. If the instant messages of all users are arranged in time sequence, with respect to an instant message sent from one user, it is hard for other users to tell with whom this user is discussing. When a plurality of topics are discussed simultaneously, the situation is more complex. The contents about all topics discussed by all users are mixed together.
Some instant messaging systems have already made some improvements in this regard. For such improved instant messaging systems, reference is made to Conversation Trees and Threaded Chats, Marc Smith, J J Cadiz and Byron Burkhalter, Jun. 20, 2000, Technical Report MSR-TR-2000-43. In this article, all conversions are organized in a tree-structure of occasion and reply. Such improvement enables the message log to reflect the object of the conversion. In addition, it adds a simple visualized mark to the contents according to the contents of conversation. FIG. 5 shows a user interface of the aforesaid instant messaging system. Although the aforesaid instant messaging system improves the arrangement manner of the message log, the contents in the same conversation clue are still arranged in time sequence. Such arrangement manner and marking manner still lack the structural information reflecting the contents of conversation, thereby it is impossible to direct the users to discuss the problems in a concentrated manner. In addition, due to the lack of context information and structural information, the users can hardly sum up the main points of the discussion from the log after the on-line discussion.
An Issue Based Information System (IBIS) provides a clear structure for discussion and explanation of problems. With the aid of IBIS, the key logic elements of the contents of the discussion can be easily understood and shared. Usually, three core tags of the IBIS are Question, Ideal and Argument, wherein the Question tag indicates raising a problem, an Idea tag represents suggesting a solution to the problem, and the Argument tag represents the opinion or judgment supporting or opposite to an idea. In addition, an IBIS method usually further defines other tags, for example, pro and con tags are used to represent supporting and opposite to an argument, respectively. When the contents of discussion are illustrated with a visual IBIS tag icon, and after the logical relations between all tags are linked, an IBIS chart is thereby formed, as shown in FIG. 6. The IBIS chart can provide a clear structure to the people in discussion, and can facilitate summing up the contents of discussion or directing the people in discussion to discuss the relevant topics during the discussion.